Sound distortion playing back recorded audio from PC

I followed all the steps in the tutorial ‘Recording audio playing on the computer’ to record audio playing on my Windows 10 PC.
When playing back the audio it sounded distorted and it was unusable as such. I used the preferred method Windows WASAPI loopback recording.

It took me a long time to find out the cause of the problem: The MaxxBass setting of MaxxAudio Pro. To get more bass on my earbuds I had MaxxBass amplify the bass sounds. But this means that the bass sounds get amplified twice. The first time when making the recording, the second time when playing it back. This produced so much bass, that the earbuds couldn’t handle it apparently.

The solution was obvious: use an equaliser setting that is completely flat while making the recording.
I think that it would benefit all users if a note to this effect is added in the Tutorial. Not only to avoid the problems I experienced, but also to get the correct recording (unbiassed audio).

Thank you for your feedback, and particularly for posting the solution to the problem.


I don’t think it would be much help to include such specifics as “MaxxBass” is only relevant to a tiny percentage of sound cards.

We do mention in a few places in the manual that “sound enhancements” should be turned off during recording. Unfortunately, some sound card manufacturers add “enhancement” settings in different places, though the most common is in the Windows Sound control panel, but even Microsoft keep changing how to access those settings (hence this huge page: Windows: accessing the Windows Sound controls - Audacity Manual)

Since it is a software loopback, I did not expect the sound settings to have any impact. Therefore I believe that a note to this effect would still be desirable. It doesn’t have to be a complete page. And MaxxBass is just an example. Any equalizer setting method would create the same problem.